How Leaving A Gift In Your Will Can Help More Neglected And Abused Horses

World Horse Welfare understands and respects that making future arrangements for family and friends takes careful thought and planning. This Easter, we are encouraging people to think about including the tireless work of our organisation as part of those plans, to help with our mission of rescuing even more abused and neglected horses in the years ahead. Our charity couldn’t survive without the support of people leaving us gifts in their Wills – in fact 60% of our income is received in this way. Therefore, from today until Sunday (Monday 2 and Sunday 9 April) we are promoting the benefits of leaving a lasting gift. In 2010, Jennifer Osborn, from the Settle area in North Yorkshire, contacted World Horse Welfare expressing an interest in leaving her horse Indie to us in her Will as she had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. Mrs Osborn sadly passed away in that year and we took Indie into our care at our Hall Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Snetterton, Norfolk. We also were left a sum of money and a share of Mrs Osborn’s jewellery. Her husband Ken explains why Jennifer wanted to leave a lasting gift to our charity: “She had a close relationship with horses and wanted to make sure that Indie went to a new home where he would get lots of attention but he would also get used. “Jennifer knew about World Horse Welfare and wanted to find a good home for him. She always kept horses for life but due to the circumstances surrounding Jennifer’s health she knew he would have to go to a new home. She didn’t want to sell Indie as she felt it was an unknown quantity but knew if she left him to World Horse Welfare it would be permanent and if he was rehomed, the new home would be completely suitable and regular checks would be made. It was not an easy decision for her to make, but it was so important for Jennifer to have that reassurance that he went to the right home.” Indie was rehomed as a ridden horse in March 2011 to Vanessa Strutt who lives near Norwich. Vanessa hopes to take part in some dressage competitions with him this year, and says: “I’m very touched that someone cared enough for Indie to ensure that he was looked after. Selling your horse can mean a very uncertain future for them but leaving a horse to World Horse Welfare, which can then be rehomed to a loving home, is a great option. “I had recently lost my mare who I had owned for 27 years and so I was looking for a companion to my other horse. I saw a promotion about the charity’s Rehome a Horse month last year and contacted World Horse Welfare. Indie was ready for rehoming and as soon as I saw him I fell in love with him, he’s an absolute star.” The money we receive from legacies in Wills makes a huge difference in so many ways to the lives of horses in the future, such as: - UK

• It costs £37 for each horse to be examined by our vet upon arrival to one of our UK Rescue and Rehoming Centres.
• £300 pays for our dentist to examine and treat 10 horses during her weekly visit.
• £600 paid for the cost of transporting 11 horses from the site of an RSPCA/World Horse Welfare investigation in Buckinghamshire to our Hall Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Norfolk.
• It costs £6,000 on average to rehabilitate a horse and give it the second chance in life it desperately needs.
• It costs £180 to keep one Field Officer on the road in the UK for the day.

Campaigns

• It costs over £3,600 for our Campaigns team to carry out a five-day field investigation involving three people. They follow one of the main slaughter routes to Italy where they collect evidence of welfare and health problems to use to lobby politicians and officials.

International

• It costs £180 per day for our farriery and saddlery instructor to provide training in developing countries.
• One set of saddlery tools cost approximately £300 per student.
• Accommodation and meals for 20 students cost a total of £1,820 per week.
• £2,000 provides necessary funds to purchase locally sourced materials and horse shoes for the training courses.

Another World Horse Welfare supporter who is going to leave a lasting gift to our charity in her Will is Sue Albone who lives with her husband Tony in Wrentham, Suffolk. Sue is leaving a legacy which is a portion of her estate, as well as her horse Gordon, and explains why: “I wanted to be able to help cover the costs of any equine I gifted to World Horse Welfare, as well as help lots of others who aren’t as fortunate as my own and to know that they are safe and have a secure future under the expert care of World Horse Welfare. “I think it’s wonderful that the charity does so much to help horses in the UK as well as abroad. Now that I know more about the work in countries such as in Central America, I think it’s vital that the many working horses overseas should benefit as well. I would encourage anyone to donate money or leave a legacy as it allows World Horse Welfare to continue to transform the lives of many more horses worldwide.” For more information about how you can leave a lasting gift in your Will please visit our website at www.worldhorsewelfare.org/you-help/lasting-gifts or call Legacy Fundraising Officer Dawn Witney on 01953 497225.

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